A Chance Meeting
by PassionateIdiot
Summary: How feelings can influence actions so much was always something he had struggled with and if anything, the boy always found a way to send his emotions into turmoil. He damned the whole situation. Yet, intrigued by his recent encounter with the boy, Richter sets out with Emil one more time. Of course, he didn't expect to end up so close to him. Eventual Richter X Emil.
1. Conversation Kills All Resolve

A/N

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It has been a WHILE. I am still very much alive and very much into this pairing, I can assure you. This will maybe have another chapter, or maybe I'll leave it up to everyone's imagination how it goes. Depends on if people are even alive still. Nevertheless, on with the story!

Enjoy!  
-.^

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''M-Marta, hang on! I can't carry all of this by myself!''

''Come on Emil, it's not that much.''

''N-Not that much? I can't see where I'm walking!''

To prove his point, Emil nearly tripped, just barely preventing the giant bag of groceries in his arms from colliding with the ground. He regained his balance and turned, looking at Marta.

''Can't you help me out a bit?''

''You're a man right?'' She asked, crossing her arms and cocking her head to the side.

''Well yeah, but-''

''There you have it! A strong man like you will be able to carry the groceries alone, won't you?'' She giggled, not waiting for a response as she turned around and skipped away again, to the Palmacosta inn. Emil let out a defeated sigh and followed, albeit slowly, to prevent the bag from escaping his grip. When she had offered to help him with doing the groceries for dinner, he had expected her to actually help. But he should have known better. He tilted his head, peering around the bag to see where he was walking, trying to ignore the odd looks people gave him.

It was then however, that a flash of red in the crowd caught his attention. He halted. A familiar feeling of anxiety surged through his body as he let his eyes roam over the crowd. He frowned as he found nothing, slightly disappointed, yet relieved.

''Emil, what are you doing? Hurry up!''

''C-Coming!'' The boy made a little sprint, looking back one more time. He blamed it on his imagination. What would Richter even be doing in Palmacosta? He shook his head, but frowned, the feeling of anxiousness not disappearing.  
His frown disappeared once he caught up with Marta, not wanting her to ask any questions. If she'd find out he thought he'd seen Richter he would be bombarded with questions he would not even be able to answer.

Once they opened the door to their room, he dropped the groceries on the nearest table, rolling his shoulders in relief. He turned to look at the clock hanging on the wall. Only 2 P.M. Good. In the corner of his eyes, he noted the dark mist, indicating Tenebreae's choice to appear before them.

''Did you enjoy yourselves?'' The centurion asked, mock evident in his voice.

Emil let out a sigh, causing Tenebreae to emit another chuckle. ''Ah yes, I can see you appreciated Lady Marta's offer to help.''

The amused glimmer in the centurion's eyes disappeared soon after though, eyes narrowing in what could only be described as suspicious. Emil shifted under the centurion's gaze, breaking eye contact and fixing his eyes on the window. He perked up. The window.

Ignoring Tenebreae following his movements, he walked to the window, placing his hands on the windowsill and leaning forward a bit. It was crowded, and therefore hard to make sure his eyes had not deceived him. There was too much red in the first place, although that shouldn't really matter. He would be able to distinct Richter's hair from any shade of red that would be thrown at him. And sure enough, several minutes later, he was positive he saw the defining red hair that belonged to Richter. His heart jumped. So he had been right, he had indeed, seen Richter. With his heart thumping in his throat, he forced himself to look away for a split second, to see if Marta had noticed any of his searching. He snapped his gaze back to the square below, and more specifically, to the small terrace where the man was sitting at the moment, hidden in the shade of the red canopy, of some sort.

''Marta?'' He called out, not once looking away from the man.

''Hmm? What is it?''

''I-I think I forgot something. I'll be back before dinner, okay?''

''What did you forget? I'll come with you.''

''N-No! that's fine. Genis had something pretty big planned for dinner, maybe you should offer him help?''

That worked. Marta's eyes lit up like they always did whenever she was offered the possibility to cook. She nodded happily and swirled around, calling out to Genis while skipping away. This is where Emil saw his chance, and as quickly and silent as possible he slipped back outside and made his way down, making a mental note to apologize to Genis later. Tenebreae appeared by his side, his eyes seeking contact.

''Lord Emil, I must advise against this.'' The centurion spoke.

''I know Tenebreae, you always do.'' Emil muttered, refusing to meet the centurion's gaze while is his heart began thumping harder in his chest with each step he took.

''Yet you seem to insist on ignoring that. Are you even aware of what you're doing?'' Tenebreae's voice was tinted with worry, but he masked it with a commanding tone, trying to intimidate the boy into turning around and go back to Marta.

'' Y-Yes. Yes I am.'' He halted, and turned to the centurion. ''Please don't tell Marta about this.''

''Now that is an odd request. You plan on sneaking out and talk to the man who is our enemy, and you ask me to keep your little affair a secret?''

''Tenebreae please! Besides, you were the one to suggest keeping them a secret when he needed my help.'' He noted.

''Those situations were slightly different Lord Emil, while as equally foolish. And if I recall correctly, he reminded you that the next time you would see each other, you would be enemies.''

''Y-Yes I know, but this is in the middle of town, on a square. He wouldn't fight me here would he? B-besides, this will probably be my last chance to talk to him.'' Emil objected, giving Tenebreae another pleading look. It earned him a defeated sigh.

''Fine, I won't tell lady Marta about this. However, I will stay close for supervision.''

''Please don't interfere.'' Emil spoke, although flashing a relieved smile at the centurion.

''Only when necessary.'' The dog like creature answered, resisting the urge to chuckle. He vanished in the air, seemingly leaving Emil to himself. The boy knew better though. The centurion's eyes never left his back as he walked outside and made his way through the crowd, closer to where Richter should be. He saw another flash of that defining color of Richter's hair, and he increased his pace, subconsciously muttering apologies to the people he pushed out of the way. He finally reached the table the man was sitting at, carelessly drinking a cup of what Emil assumed to be coffee, while reading a book with several symbols on the cover. Emil remained standing there, only a few feet away from the man. He hadn't really thought of what he wanted to say. His heart was still thumping loudly, but he had lost his nerves, instead feeling and odd and sudden calmness take over his mind.

''Yes, what do you want?'' The older man's eyebrows furrowed together into an annoyed scowl as he closed the book, before looking up at the person who had been standing in the corner of his eyes, and who was obviously a nuisance by simply staring at him. He did not however, expect to see the younger boy he had vowed to be his enemy.

''Emil.''

Emil took notice of the small hint of surprise in the other male's voice, as well as the man's fingers twitching to reach for his weapons. He stopped his action though, once his eyes noted the lack of the yellow scabbard that usually held Emil's sword.

''You didn't bring you weapon.'' The half elf noted, arching an eyebrow.

''I don't need it.'' Emil stated, still not making any move to shorten or lengthen the distance between them.

''You seem awfully sure of that.'' The older male grunted, raising the cup to his lips again while making sure his eyes never left the boy.

''I am.''

The other male grunted again, annoyed by the unnecessary retort. ''Well?''

''H-Huh?'' Emil blinked, slightly thrown off and back into his more natural timid behavior.

''I assume you want something, and by the looks of it, you don't plan on leaving before you get it, am I right?'' He questioned, earning himself a nod as an answer. He let out another annoyed huff.

''At least sit down then, you're attracting unwanted attention.''

Emil looked up and around him, and indeed, more than one pair of eyes were staring at him with interest. He couldn't really blame them, if the situation looked as it felt, it was indeed something to be interested in. Trying his best to ignore all the eyes he was now aware of following his movements, he scraped back a chair, and sat down across from Richter.

''So?'' Richter asked again, seemingly annoyed by the boy's silent staring. ''What is that you want? Although I assume I already know.''

Emil opened his mouth but closed it soon after, pondering on his thoughts. His eyebrows knitted together and he remained silent for a while, before opening his mouth again. ''Do you?'' He asked, slightly cocking his head to the side.

This took Richter by surprise, and he remained silent, choosing to simply observe the boy's actions.

''Because I don't.''

''You don't know? Now that's new.'' Richter commented, quickly masking the had-been-joke with sarcasm. Emil looked up at him from his lap, scowling. Richter sighed but placed his cup down on the table.

''Okay, so you don't know what you want, but you clearly came up to me for a reason.''

''I saw you at the marketplace.'' Emil blurted out, looking up at Richter again. ''And after distracting Marta, I came here.''

Ignoring the obvious the boy made of coming where he was now, he raised his eyebrows again. ''Marta?''

Emil nodded, quickly realizing the possible mistake he made by mentioning her. ''You're not going to hurt her are you?''

''Of course I am,'' Emil's eyes widened, and his fingers dug into the table subconsciously. ''But relax, I won't kill her today. Despite the fact that you were foolish enough to mention she's here, I prefer not to involve innocent bystanders.'' He huffed, pushing his glasses up his nose and flicking his hair. Emil visibly relaxed, causing Richter to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

''Thank you.''

''I said I won't kill her now. That doesn't mean I won't in the future, Emil.''

Emil's scowled for a second, but he remained relaxed, and flashed Richter a small smile. Richter narrowed his own eyes in a response, something that failed to intimidate Emil this time. He huffed. A silence followed, during which Richter realized he was starting to find this whole situation a lot more interesting than he should.  
There was something about this situation that felt…different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. The boy was oddly calm, compared to his usual timid behavior near the man.

''Richter…How old are you?''

The older man blinked in surprise, taken back by the sudden question. ''What?''

Emil remained silent, and shrugged, the only signs of his embarrassment being the slight blush coloring his cheeks. Richter let out a small sigh, but instead of a sneer, choose to answer the boy.

''I'm 20.''

Emil let out a soft hum, more to himself than to the other man.

''You don't look like 20 though, it's hard to believe you're only one year older than Lloyd.''

''Don't you have to go back to Marta?'' He grunted, avoiding the statement and instead glaring at a middle aged couple eyeing them with interest from across a different table.

''I told you, I distracted her. I don't have to go anytime soon.''

''Great.'' Richter huffed, again, causing Emil to feign a look of hurt.

''What's that you're reading?''

Richter looked at the book he had placed on the corner of the table and took it, placing it back in his bag. ''Research.''

Emil looked disappointed. ''Research on what?''

''Why do want to know everything?'' Richter let out a sigh. Emil remained silent, casting his eyes down to his lap. Richter sighed.

''It's a book about demons.''

''Demons?'' Emil looked up, slightly cocking his head to the side. ''Why are you researching demons?''

''That is none of your concern. ''He shot Emil a glare that said that this was indeed, none of his concern, and that he would not reveal his intentions with the information. An uncomfortable silence followed, during which Richter was silently hoping Emil would stand up and leave. Of course, no such thing happened, instead, the waitress arrived and smile at Emil. ''Would you like something to drink?''

Richter shot the lady a deadly glare before looking at Emil. There was a slight blush coloring his cheekbones as he remained silent. Richter sighed. ''Go ahead.''

The boy blinked in surprise, but ordered anyway. As the lady nodded and left, he looked at Richter, a small smile playing on his lips. Richter huffed. ''What?''

Emil shook his head. ''No it's nothing.''

Deciding not to press the mater he cut through. ''How long until you have to go back to Marta?'' Richter crossed his arms, glaring at two girls sitting at a table about ten feet away with them who seemed too interested for his comfort.

Emil resisted the urge to turn around to see what he was looking at and instead scratched the back of his head.

''Honestly, any time is too long for her. But I got her to help prepare dinner. Which I'm sure I'll regret later.'' The boy's shoulders slumped down and he let out a deep sigh. Amused, Richter leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

''Yes I remember seeing you throw her food away when she wasn't looking.''

Emil perked up. ''What?''

Richter let out a sigh. ''Emil, I've been following you several times. Waiting for the right opportunity takes patience and observation. It's only natural I've seen you **enjoy** your dinner.''

''O-Oh.'' A short silence followed. Richter, satisfied with the confused look on the boy's face, picked up his cup of coffee and sipped from it.

''She still cooks better than you.''

Taken by surprise, Richter took a gulp much too large and almost choked. He managed to suppress his gagging reflex and swallowed the burning liquid while narrowing his eyes at the boy, who seemed awfully satisfied.

''How did you manage to survive all those years anyway?''

''Just how old did you think I was before today?''

Emil shook his head. ''Best I don't say.''

Richter huffed. A short silence followed, during which his drink arrived. Richter's eye twitched as he eyed the drink. A simple ice tea. It wasn't the drink itself that annoyed him though.

''Why did they give you a _straw?''_

Emil released his lips from said straw and eyed it as if he just noticed. He frowned. ''No idea. How old do you think she thought _I _was?''

Richter saw his chance. ''Best I don't say.'' He answered in a gruff voice.

''Ouch'' Emil's shoulders slumped down, but there was a smile playing on his lips.

Richter leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his sternum. Emil picked the lemon slice from his glass and took a bite from it, his face scrunching at the sour taste, but at the same time showing the boy's delight. It stirred something. He didn't like it. Forcing him to think and focus on something else, he answered the boy's questions.

''I stayed at inns mostly,'' Emil gave him a confused look, but caught on almost immediately. ''Bought already edible products at towns and villages and if the need was desperate, I had aqua prepare something,''

''You don't like her cooking?''

''No, I don't like fish. Though I suppose she made it more edible than your average inn.''

''Didn't she felt weird doing that?'' Emil cocked his head to the side. ''Isn't it like killing her own?''

''I didn't eat monsters Emil. I ate the fish every merchant and fisherman can get his hands on. Aqua simply had her monsters gather them.''

''Oh'' The boy mused on this for a while.

Richter remained silent, instead eyeing the boy's actions, trying to gauge what he was after. Surely he was after something. Was he trying to get him to lower his guard? Convince him to change his mind on his statement that they would be enemies? He wouldn't succeed in either, he should know that by now. The man narrowed his eyes, listening halfheartedly to the boy voicing more of his thoughts. He answered a few more questions, albeit with caution. Why did he even answer them though? If he really wanted the boy to leave, it would have been wiser to simply ignore him until he would leave.

Instead, the older male found himself still talking with the boy an hour later.

And worse, he was enjoying it.

The older man was leaning forward for just that tiny bit, still closely observing the boy, but this time, actually paying attention to the words meant for his ears. He was hardly as interested as he may have seemed, as the boy spoke about several situations he had found himself in that would be considered awkward and humorous. In the hour that had passed, the boy's shoulders had slumped down, and a smile had made its way on his lips. He was chattering happily, fully relaxed. He didn't see Richter as the enemy right now. And while it worried Richter, it seemed the boy had succeeded in getting him to lower his guard after all.

Damn him.

The sun had lowered considerably, giving everything around them a golden glow. A wind had picked up as well, bringing the temperature down to a more unpleasant one.  
Speaking of unpleasant...Richter's sensitive ears picked up an unmistakable voice. His chair scraped as he stood up, almost hurryingly so.

''We should part ways.''

Emil gave him a confused look and parted his lips to inquire what he'd done wrong.

''Emiiiiiil!''

The boy's eyes widened and he whirled around. While still at a considerably distance, Marta was roaming the streets for him. But her entire posture left no room for questioning her mood. He had to hurry. Emil turned to Richter, giving him weary eyes.

''I won't harm her.''

Relief obvious on his features, Emil nodded and turned around when Richter stopped him.

_''_Emil.''

''Yes?'' Emil halted, eyes shifting between Marta slowly closing in on them and Richter.

Richter hesitated. His common sense was telling him this was a bad idea. But Emil had a bad influence and in his presence, often made him ignore that.

''I will be departing tomorrow morning to a ruin nearby...'' He hesitated again. ''Bring your sword this time.''

He didn't ask if the boy wanted to come. If he didn't show up, all the better. He swirled around, leaving enough gold to cover the bill and marched away without granting Emil even as much as another glance. The boy stood there for a few seconds as he processed the words. Dark matter formed beside him, from which Tenebrae appeared.

''Lord Emil, this is-''

''I know Tenebrae. It's most unwise. You must advise against it.'' He answered almost numb, his eyes and thoughts concentrating on different matters.

Tenebrae let out a sigh. He knew Emil by know. Trying to talk him out of this was futile. The centurion eyed the man who the young boy would be departing with tomorrow. _What was he up to?_


	2. Bring down the turmoil

A-N

Alright, due to my own need for an actual story and because I rather like my train of thought, I decided to continue this. We'll see how far we'll get.

* While I certainly do _not _ mean to hoard, I would really appreciate some reviews with your readers view on this. I mean it´s still in the work so it´s still relatively easy to  
bend things in a different direction.

* If you notice any errors, typos or just a messed up sentence **_please tell me_**. I really hate it when I have read over them and find them like, weeks later. Part of what  
makes a story good is proper language.

* * *

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When Richter woke up that morning the first thought that crossed his mind was a loud, not so subtle _shit._

The moment the words he said to the boy the day before had left his mouth he damned himself. After being so persistent on their destined bond as enemies he now invited the boy along once more? What had he been thinking? The man groaned as he sat up. It was already light, but his internal clock always woke him well before the average person. There was still a way out of this. He told himself he wouldn't wait by the town's gate. If he didn't cross Emil he wouldn't wait for the boy. He roughly tossed the blanket off of him and flung his legs over the side of the bed. His hands reached for the glasses on the small bedside table, allowing him to search for his clothes. He put on the clothes to hide his delicates first, should someone enter the room. Innkeepers tend to care little about privacy.

He cared little for a large breakfast. He just wanted to leave as soon as possible. He faintly registered Aqua talking to him. His replies were curt, but she understood the reason and fell in silence behind him. When he reached the town's gate there were two emotions clashing. Emil wasn't anywhere in sight. Maybe he was early enough to slip out. Relief. So then why was he also, dare he say...dissapointed?

He huffed and increased his pace. However when he passed the gate Aqua opened her mouth before he could even be seen.

''What are you doing here Tenebone?'' She crossed her arms.

The centurion of darkness appeared mere seconds after the words were spoken and glared at his kinswoman. ''Making sure lord Emil is left in safe hands.''

Richter blinked. ''Is he...is he _sleeping?''_

Behind the centurion was Emil, propped up against the back of the gate's wall. His head was lowered, his chin tucked to his chest, his eyes closed. Beside him was a monster. A padfoot.

''Why did he bring his pet?'' Richter felt annoyance bubble. It was beginning to look more like a fieldtrip, something he was not in the mood for.

''Unfortunately, due to Lord Emil's determination to keep his entire encounter with you a secret, he had to lie about where to go today. Wheras I would normally come along, he insisted that I stayed put to protect Lady Marta from the ongoing threat of the vanguard.''

Richter snorted. ''Doesn't she had a whole party to do that?''

''The others have split up into different parties for different jobs.''

Both the centurions and the half-elf perked up at the sound of Emil's voice. He rubbed his face with both hands and, albeit somewhat clumsily, got up. ''We're rather short on money and Sheena thought she'd seen Lloyd so she and Zelos are out searching for him.''

If it wasn't for the fact he had entirely different priorities and the fact that he knew it wouldn't help, Richter would have scolded Emil for telling him this. Tenebrae seemed to agree, because he sighed and although the boy did not notice, shook his head.

''So yes,'' Tenebrae scraped his throat. ''That is why I shall remain behind to help protect lady Marta.''

''You think that dog will protect you?''

The padfoot in question seemed indeed more dog than monster. Curious, it tilted its head, eyes looking up at Richter in what he would describe as bewilderment.

''I wouldn't underestimate the advantage of having a monster under your command.'' Tenebrae advised.

Ignoring the awfully true statement, Richter let out a sigh and looked at Emil. ''Are you good to go then?''

Emil nodded. He seemed excited even. He turned to Tenebrae to go through the last details. Richter decided not to wait. It seemed Emil understood by now that calling him would not help, so after quickly rounding up he jogged up to Richter and fell into place slightly behind the older man.

''So where are we heading?'' He asked while adjusting his scabbard and scarf to have them out of the way.

''To an old mansion north-east of here. About a day away.'' He glanced at Emil. ''If that's too long you can still go back.''

Emil shook his head. ''I only left Marta a note. She doesn't know where I'm going but thinks it's for her.'' His head dropped. ''I will regret that later.''

''I'm not going to give you another trinket if that's what you're hoping for.''

Emil looked up, face flustered. ''N-no I wasn't! I figured I just tell her I couldn't find whatever I was looking for.''

Richter didn't comment. Emil's relation with Marta didn't concern him.

''So what are we looking for?''

''I'm looking for a book.'' He emphasized the I. ''The owner had quite the impressive library on rare books. He died two years ago when the Great Tree attacked and the mansion is left in ruins, but fortunately, still there.''

Emil briefly wondered how Richter knew that, but if by know he had learned one thing it was did Richter did his research. The story peaked his interest though.

''Did the Great Tree really reached that far?''

''The Tree itself not per se. The roots did however.'' He turned his head. ''You ask as if you've never heard of it.''

''Ah, well.'' Emil scratched his neck.

Richter snorted, cutting the conversation to an end, to Emil's relief.

They traveled in silence for most of the day. Occasionally Emil would ask questions about the mansion or Richter's research on the matter and of course there was the stray monster pack. Hours flew by and by the time they set up camp for the night, the sky had turned almost orange and the temperature had dropped significantly. Richter inquired Emil to start the fire, explaining he wanted to use the light to go over some notes. Emil complied and while Richter settled and surrounded himself with several rolls of paper and slightly damaged books he gathered sticks, dry leaves and the stones needed to prepare a fire. When the flames reached high enough he reached for his bag and selected several ingredients. As he cut and prepared the foot he glanced at Richter who, at a safe distance from the fire, was still occupied.

''Are all of them about the mansion?'' Richter looked up, glancing at Emil almost bewildered. He recovered quickly.

''Not nearly,'' He started while stacking loose sheets together. ''Some of them are about monsters in the area, others about the owner himself. Not a clean man by all means.'' He had a harsh undertone in his voice.

''Why not?''

''It doesn't matter. He died so justice is done. This book however,'' He briefly waved a book into view which Emil recognized to be the same one he saw the man reading the day before.'' Tells me a lot more about the mansion itself. It's much larger than I anticipated and seems to have an underground connection to the Balacruf Mausoleum.''

Emil's eyes widened. ''It would take weeks to search through all that.''

''Fortunately I don't think we have to. The book I'm looking for is most likely stacked in some sort of library. It wouldn't make any sense for that to be underground.''

Emil's shoulders relaxed in relief. He handed Richter his food and cocked his head slightly in question. ''Does it say anything about why it is connected?''

Richter took a bite, glancing at Emil. ''I didn't figure you to be interested.''

Emil shrugged, slightly flustered. Truth was that he wasn't particularly interested indeed. He mainly enjoyed hearing Richter talk. It always made him feel a little closer to the man and it as an added bonus, killed some time. It turned out there wasn't much information about it. The owner had stumbled upon the underground maze by accident years after he'd moved in, which reasoned even more that the chance of the book being in the underground ruins were slim.

While they ate however, Emil's eyes spotted something on the right side of Richter. I piece of paper, old, slightly crumpled and damaged but it was what was on the paper that caught his eye. While he was sitting too far away to make out the letters of one thing he was certain.

It was exactly the same handwriting he had.

He was frozen for a few seconds. He tried to remember ever giving Richter a letter. His gaze on the paper was broken as Richter tore it from his view, stacking all the paper together before putting it away. The man raised his eyebrows at the baffled look Emil was giving him.

''What?''

Emil tore his eyes away and shook his head. ''Nothing. I'm sorry.''

Richter snorted. They ate the rest of their food in silence. As night fell they decided to call it a day early. As the padfoot ran off into the night to hunt, they considered letting the fire burn until it died out on its own but ultimately decided against it. It was warm enough without and the fire might attract unwanted attention. The padfoot would find its way back on its own. So once the fire had been reduced to smoldering ashes and smoke, they crawled back towards their sleeping mats. To Emil, the silence that followed between them had become awkward. He was positive he had never wrote anything to Richter. Had he gotten his hand on pages from his journal? If so, why? There wouldn't be anything of interest to him. He mused about this for what must have been a long time, for when Emil rolled over on his side to look at the man, he was asleep. He too, was lying on his side, his back turned towards Emil. His breathing had evened out to a slow and steady rhythm. Emil kept staring at the man's back for a while. Then his eye caught sight of something. Not far from Richter's head was the man's bag.

Emil knew this was a very, very bad idea, his stomach churning in guilt and nerves of what he was about to do.

The boy sat up and crawled over to his companion's bag, careful to make as little sound as possible. He kept a close eye on Richter's form the entire time, even has he flipped the bag open. Fortunately for him, the papers were stacked on top of the books, gels and everything else the man had packed. Carefully removing the stack, all the while still keeping a close eye on the male still sleeping soundly, he closed the bag and placed it as close to its previous position as possible. He cast his eyes on the sheets of paper in his hand and went through them, quickly finding the one he'd been looking for.

His heart thumped loudly as he read the letter. It was definitely his handwriting, there was no mistaking it. But these were not his words. Not his way of formulating. In fact, there were so many words he didn't understand. It seemed like a report about experiments. Observations, notes scribbled on the sides, little drawings that seemed to have the function of explaining. He didn't understand how everything, down to the way of the comma's and dots were so similar. When his eyes reached the last word, he heart skipped a beat. He fell backwards on his bottom instead of crouching, baffled. But next, everything happened in an instant.

He faintly registered the mistake he had made. For a split second he felt himself gently colliding with what couldn't be anyone but Richter. But not gentle enough. In one swift movement, the older male had shot up and moved his arm backwards in a quick and sweeping motion. It hit the boy in the neck, knocking him towards the ground as he kept putting pressure behind his arm. The boy's head hit the ground, but again, no time to register. He was rolled over to his back and gasped as a knee roughly pressed against his groin. With his left arm pinned beside his head with an elbow and the length of the lower arm putting a painful pressure on his throat he was now struggling to breathe. He gasped, grasping the arm with his free hand. The pressure disappeared almost immediately and as his eyes focused, he was able to see Richter, looking both pissed and surprised.

''Emil? What were you-'' Green eyes fell on the sheets of paper not far from the young male's head. And Emil realized, as Richer recognized the page, just how big of a mistake he had made. Richter's eyes shot to his, looking angrier than he had ever seen the man be at him. Richter, who had made no move to remove himself shot his knee forward with renewed force at the same time his hand shot towards the boy's throat. Emil let out a pained yelp before the ability to breathe was taken from him. His head was kept still and he was forced to look at the glaring eyes of the man above him.

''I don't know what _the hell_ you were thinking...''The man growled, the grip around Emil's throat tightening at the same time the other hand raised the paper. ''But you better have a _damn_ good reason for going through my belongings.'' Emil's hands clawed at Richter's, unable to call on his voice. His eyes began to water both from the lack of air and fear coursing through his veins. The man gritted his teeth and released his grip on the boy's neck. Emil coughed and held his neck as he gasped for air. Richter scoffed and got up, pointing his now drawn sword at Emil.

''Well?''

''T-The handwriting-''

Richter arched his eyebrows as he interrupted him. ''The handwriting? You stole-''

''It's the same as mine!'' Emil gasped out, his body shaking.

This stopped Richter's train of thought. He looked baffled. ''You're saying you went through my letters and found one that has similar writing. That's it?''

Emil shook his head fervently. ''No! I saw it from a distance a few hours ago. I already recognized the handwriting. I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone through your notes!''

Richter merely scoffed at him. He was still mad, but it seemed curiosity got the better of him. He looked at the notes now in his hand. Emil remained still, awaiting Richter's actions in silence. The older man pushed up his glasses as he glanced at Emil. ''Go back to sleep, before I change my mind.'' He grunted, giving Emil a warning glare.

Emil nodded, still rubbing his neck, and scrambled away from the man. His heart was thumping loudly. _What was I thinking?! _He fought the tears behind his eyes. His breathing hitched every now and then, but he forced himself to do this silently.

''...Emil.''

''Huh?'' Emil froze, not quite daring to turn to the man.

''Did you read it all the way through?''

The man's voice sounded closer than before and by now Emil felt he had no other choice than to look at him. He nodded.

''It's from Aster.''

Richter nodded.

''Yes. It's his notes on one of our last researches together.''

Emil looked at Richter more closely. His expression had changed. His brows furrowed together, his lips pressed together into a tight line and his eyes fixed on the paper. Emil looked at his hands now folded in his lap. Another silence followed, during which Emil lied down and curled up, realizing just what kind of an emotional turmoil he must have caused to the man sitting a few feet away from him.

''I'm sorry.'' He murmured, just barely loud enough to hear.

Richter didn't reprimand him for it.


	3. Into The Bowels - Part 1

**Okay so I planned to have this chapter up yesterday, but something got in between. I won't have a lot of time the upcoming 4/5 days so I at least wanted it up before then. the chapter will be swapped later. Don't expect major changes; mostly grammar edits and rephrasing to make sentences flow better. Normally I'd wait for my beta MiracleofOracles to have worked her magic, but as said, shortage of time. Plus, I always prefer posting a chapter before going to bed in the hopes of waking up to reviews and starting the day in a good mood.**

**I expect to have the next chapter up in max two weeks. For now, enjoy!**

* * *

Emil woke up early the next morning, mainly because of the penetrating smell of death. He opened his eyes and wrinkled his nose at the sight of what he assumed must have been either a large fox or some wild dog. Either way, there was little left, most of the flesh chewed down to the bone. That didn't make it smell any less though.

''You could have eaten it elsewhere.'' He murmured at the monster lying a few feet away from him, whose only sign of recognition was a twitch of the ears and an irritated glance from the corner of its eyes. Emil sat up and looked behind him. His breathing hitched and his heartbeat sped up. He understood Richter was mad at him, but would he really leave him on his own just like that? He scrambled up and walked around, observing his surroundings. The sun had not yet fully risen, casting the forest in an amber glow. Birds were already up and about, happily chirping. There was no sign of Richter though. Emil's shoulders slumped down. Feeling all sorts of guilty, he turned to gather his belongings only to have them roughly thrown into him.

''Oomph!'' He caught the supplies, albeit clumsily, and looked up at Richter.

''R-Richter! You're still here.'' He stuttered out, quickly feeling ashamed.

Richter arched an eyebrow. ''Of course I am.''

''I thought you left.'' Emil spoke, hoisting his bag up.

''Don't be ridiculous.'' Richter grunted. ''Now hurry up. I found a waypoint. We should be less than two hours away.''

Emil nodded, noting that although he didn't sound mad (which he wasn't sure was a good sign), Richter did sound...off. He was definitely occupied with his thoughts. He hurried after the man, relieved to be able to continue alongside him. Although, as it turned out, the man's silent musing made for a very silent trip. Emil continuously remained a few steps behind the older man. Luckily for them, Richter was able to keep mind and body separated enough for them to fight like they usually did.

''Ack! You little shits!'' Emil, now taken over by his red eyed counterpart, sneered as he swept his arms in various directions and slicing through multiple insect like monsters in the process and finishing the battle. He smirked as he sheathed his sword, his shoulders rising and falling as he caught his breath after what must have been the 11th battle that involved those damn hornets. It required so much dodging.

He turned around to grin at Richter, only to find the man staring at him intensely.

''What?''

''Nothing. Aren't you leaving?''

The younger smirked. ''What, already miss that wimp?''

Richter's hand twitched. ''Just bring him back. I want to ask him something.''

Ratatosk remained silent for a moment. He spoke then, much more gently. ''Be gentle. He's terrified. It's a nuisance.'' He added, masking what could have been concern. Richter merely nodded and red eyes closed, twitching lightly before opening to reveal bright green. His face flashed as he realized Richter was staring at him. ''Ah, sorry for keeping us down.'' He quickly marched forward and passed the man without looking at him. Richter remained on the spot as he watched the boy walk without waiting for him. He sighed.

''Emil.''

Emil visibly tensed, but turned around.

Richter pointed east of them. ''That way.''

Emil blushed and nodded in response, quickly turning to walk in the right direction. Richter observed him and sighed in defeat. No point in asking him now. He followed the boy, glancing to his side, where the padfoot was happily trotting alongside him. He scoffed.

''He could use your company better than I do.'' He murmured. As if musing on it, the monster tilted it head, then took a short sprint to walk beside the blonde.

They continued in silence. Richter decided that before he´d ask the questions he wanted, he needed Emil to be calm first. Having the boy stutter out answers he probably wasn´t even sure of would only annoy him and as much as he hated to admit it, he could use the boy´s help. Scaring him off would be of no use.

But that´s not the only reason, is it?

He inwardly shook his head, as if though would empty his head from their thoughts.

He subtly increased his pace at the same time Emil slowed his and they fell in their usual habit of the youngest of the two following close behind.

The lush green around then rolled in the wind as they progressed, the sky above them graced with only a few clouds, floating peaceful and undisturbed. With nature being so peaceful Emil managed to forget about the awkward shuffle their footsteps had fallen in, horribly out of pace really. And as, after what seemed little to no time, Emil almost bumped into Richter as the man halted and his eyes that had previously been on the woods and its inhabitants now lay on the elegant, withered gray towers of th ruins scratching the sky, the knot in his stomach disappeared. Before he could gawk at it however, the padfoot by his side let out a sound between a whine and a bark (which may have been the weirdest sound he could have emitted in his opinion.) and bumped into Emil on purpose.

Emil crouched down and rummaged through his bag, grabbing paper and pencil. He whistled at his monster companion, who after having walked away again, trotted back over to him in response while still keeping close tabs in his surroundings.

''I promised to inform the others when we arrived.''

''Is that really necessary?'' Richter scoffed.

''It's better than to have them come searching for me.'' Especially Marta. ''And it's always better than having Tenebrae along.''

Richter had to agree on that. While it was not the centurion himself that bothered him, the constant bickering between Aqua and him definitely did.  
Richter waited impatiently as Emil scribbled down his message on a note and tied it around his monster companion's neck before sending it off. The blonde stood up and turned to the mansion, falling silent.

Although indeed fitting the description of a ruin the once have been mansion still stood tall and impressive. Given its secluded location it had an air of mystery around it and Emil was sure, had Raine come along, they would hear a lecture on every little detail. From remnants of roots to the material of the stone.

Over the years, roots and plants had grown to constrict around remnants, walls and towers, making it seem as if the ruin was about to be dragged down into the earth. Numerous flowers grew on the branches and bushes surrounding the ruin, attracting butterflies and bees and all that thrived from the state of the mansion. It made Emil smile to see the little fauna in this area. As if a little world of its own in the middle of a forest. Richter, although remaining silent, noted this from the corner of his eyes. It always surprised him how...young Emil's mind was. Much like a child, he still knew how to notice and appreciate simple things like that. Although the man would never admit it, he praised the boy for the ability. To be able to keep that to heart with a journey like his was truly something he should cherish.

However, being a realist what Richter noted about the mansion and it's fauna, was that it had become almost impenetrable. Doors or holes in walls that may have once allowed entrance were covered and overgrown by nature.

''Emil.''

''Huh?'' The boy turned, shaken from his peaceful moment.

''Let's see if we can find a way in. ''

Emil nodded and they split up; Richter turning right and Emil left. They walked around the house, occasionally cutting away a few plants to see if they may have found a possible entry. They met again at the back of the mansion, neither of them successful. Richter cursed.

''Now what?''

''Uhm...''

Emil, who had visibly calmed down now that he had a clear goal ahead of him pointed to where he had came from.

''It's a bit high, but there is a smashed window that doesn't seem to have been completely overgrown yet. I can't see what it's like on the inside though.''

Richter arched an eyebrow. ''Did you?'' He mused over it for a few seconds. ''I suppose it's the only option for now. Show me where.''

Emil nodded, something crossing his face that Richter had come to recognize as a sense of content and pride. The younger of the two led them to the side of the mansion to what had presumably been the stair tower. To say it was a bit high...

''It's quite the distance.'' Richter grunted, looking for a way up. He perked up. Leading from the window to a breach in the wall a few meters to the left was heavy growth of vines that had attached themselves to the stone. With a bit of luck, the roots and vines were sturdy enough to hold. He gestured Emil to follow and approached the wall. He turned to Emil.

''Think you can climb across?''

Emil looked at the vines for several moments before nodding. '' If I can find a way up.''

''No need. Step up.''

Richter had meanwhile turned his back to the wall and braced himself against it, bent his knees and clasped his hands together. When Emil didn't immediately respond he scoffed. ''Well? Hurry up.''

''R-Right.''

Emil approached the man. He felt a blush creep on his cheeks as he put his hands on Richter's shoulder. Refusing to look anywhere near the face now much closer to his, he stepped on Richter's clasped hands and nodded.

With a quick motion, Richter forced his arms up, lifting Emil in the process. Emil quickly placed one foot on Richter's shoulder while simultaneously moving his arms to grasp the wall. Finally, with another push from both Richter's arms and Emil's now extending legs, the boy reached out in full length and was able to grasp on to the biggest vine within reach. He wiggled and kicked with his legs a bit, trying to find some grip on the wall to hoist himself up. At first he was afraid to lose his grip on the vine and fall but eventually his left foot found its grip, quickly followed by his right.

''Got it!'' He called out and Richter stepped away from the wall and turn around to watch the younger male.

''Think you can make it to the window?''

Emil nodded but realized Richter may not be able to see it from his angle. ''Yes,'' He pulled and hopped a bit, without actually removing his feet from the vines, to test the vines their strength. Better fall now than higher up. ''These don't even budge.''

''Don't assume they're all as strong. Now hurry before you get to tired.''

Emil felt the urge to object but he knew Richter was right; hanging on like this put more than your average strain on one's muscles. He shuffled to the right, carefully placing one foot and testing the rooting to the wall before putting more weight on it. At some points there were some vines and roots that were more dried out than others. Some crumbled like dried up tree leaves when Emil placed his foot or hand on them while others only lost their rooting to the wall but remained intact. He progressed to the window quicker than Richter expected.

Emil, now directly beside the window, mused on how to get inside. True, the glass was broken, but it was not a window big enough to easily get through. Preventing himself from falling while at the same time squeezing himself through without cutting himself would be a challenge indeed. He kicked as much glass inside as he could. The real problem was the wooden '+'in the center that split the frame into four. It didn't seem rotten enough. He twisted his neck in an attempt to make eye contact with Richter.

''I don't think I can get through it like this.''

''Hmm...I have an idea, albeit a risky one.''

Emil knew where he was heading. Burning the wood would allow passage but brought the risk of burning the vines before Emil could enter.

''I suppose we don't have a choice.'' He murmured, dropping his head and letting out a sigh.

''It's okay. J-just try not to burn me as well.''

Richter scoffed. ''What do you take me for.'' He grunted, not audible enough for Emil to hear, while calling upon his mana. He stepped closer to Emil, should the need be there to catch him. With well aimed precision, the man released the mana from his body. The heat that radiated from the flames licking at the wood mere feet away from him warmed Emil's face and gave him the urge to increase the distance between him and the fire. He eyed the vines. A lot of them were already beginning to lose their roots to the wall and being turned into swings rather than ledges.

At that moment, he felt himself slowly being lowered. The vine he was putting most of his weight on began to lose its sturdiness.

''Emil!'' Richter called out, urging him that he had to act now.

Emil nodded. Seizing his chance, he extended his legs while pulling himself up and towards the window. He swung his right leg up and in a quick leap found himself on the stone ledge in front of the window, just barely big enough to crouch on with both feet. He kicked the wood as hard as he could with his current position. It broke and, along with numerous parts of attached glass, flew inside.

''Got it!''

Just as the words left his lips, the vines he had been holding on to gave in to their weight. He yelped and reached forwards with flailing arms, trying to get something to hold on to and pulling. He stumbled inside with a yelp. He shot up, looking at his left hand. The frame had been his saving, but unfortunately, the glass still attached had not. He flinched as he pulled out the glass. Fortunately, it wasn't very big. However, it was still glass, and its razor sharp edge had left a nasty gash, from a little below his pointing finger to well below the center. There were several small cuts as well and, although no nearly as deep and painful, they bled vigorously.

''Emil!''

''I-I'm okay!''

He stood, ignoring the pain in his hand. First he would try and find a way for Richter to get in. He would be able to heal him. He looked around what turned out to be a study and not a stair tower. The room was in shambles however. The door creaked as he pulled it open. He blinked. Another door? He pushed against the wood, confused. It wasn't a door. He moved his hand around the door frame, fitting his fingers between the gap left between the frame and the object blocking his path. He took a step back.

And bodyslammed it.

He didn't exactly have much of a choice. Shielding his left hand from anymore damage, he used the right side of his body and slammed against the wood repeatedly. It budged, that much he could tell. After a few slams, whatever had been inside the now concluded bookcase filled with- well, anything but books judging from the sound of breaking glass and ceramic- fell to the floor. With the extra weight gone Emil was able to push the object over and allow himself passage.

He now found himself in a long hallway. He saw a railing far to his right; which as he approached it belonged to the stairs leading down the front hall. He stood at the top of the stairs and looked around.

The roof was gone, mostly. Gaping holes allowed sunlight to shine through, illuminating the view. Carpet and wood were wet and rotten by the numerous times of rain it must have experienced over time. Broken and fallen marble statues which once served as decoration now gave the mansion an eerie feeling. Vines as big as trees themselves seemed to constrict whichever they could like a deadly snake. From the outside, he mansion had looked peaceful and beautiful, even as a ruin; But now that he was standing there alone at the top of creaking stairs, with leaves swirling around his feet from the wind blowing through the many holes in the stone it felt as if nature was about to swallow the mansion whole, with him still inside.

He slowly made his way downstairs, careful to test out the steps first. Fortunately, they were sturdier than they seemed. He walked straight to the door, at least, to the massive bookcase in front of it. The tall, slim and colored stained glass that framed either side of the door had cracks and holes in them.

''Richter?''

A few moments followed before he heard the padding of footsteps. Richter approached him.

''Good, you made it, now open the door.''

Emil shook his head. ''It's not that easy. There's a bookcase in front of it.''

''Well then move it.'' Richter grunted. Emil's fingers twitched in slight annoyance. A habit that had accompanied his personal growth.

''I'll try, but I hurt my had pretty badly.'' He raised his left hand to emphasize this.

A flash of something crossed Richter's face. It was gone too fast for Emil to be sure but...had it been concern?

''I see,'' Richter crossed his arms, musing over it for a few moments. He crossed gazes with Emil again. ''Try throwing the books out and get them out of the way before topping the case over. Without the books, I may be able to push it away while opening the door enough for me to get in.''

Emil nodded and stepped back to get to his assigned task.

Meanwhile, Richter focused on cutting and burning away the many plants covering the door. It was a boring task, not challenging by any means. As of such, it gave him more time to think. During the time Emil had been inside he had been musing on the many thoughts and theories revolving around Aster and him. They may look the same, but ultimately, were about as similar as water and fire. That raised the question as to why their handwriting was identical. He gritted his teeth. This whole situation brought up so many memories and thoughts that it only succeeded in frustrating him.

He perked up as he heard a crash, quickly followed by the sight of the blonde teen in front of the window.

''It's down.''

Richter nodded, choosing not to comment on the obvious. As it turned out, the door was pretty rotten and it was easier to just smash it than actually try to open it all the way.

''That should do it.'' Richter kicked one last piece of wood inside. He motioned at Emil. ''Get over here.''

''Huh?''

Richter resisted the urge to huff. '' I'm going to heal your hand, but I rather do it out here. We don't know what might be holding up inside.''

''R-Right.''

Emil stepped through the hole and back into the outside light. They crouched down a few feet further before Richter gestured for Emil to show him his hand. Emil's cheeks flushed red as Richter took his hand and pulled it closer to examine.

''Good thing you didn't pull the glass out.''

Emil could only nod as Richter took of his brown gloves before taking a hold of Emil's hand again. While Richter had healed him before, it was usually a scrape or small cut on his forehead, arm or leg. It never required for the two to actually touch. Maybe it was for the better. Emil thought as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. He winced as Richter quickly removed the various pieces of glass, shortly followed by the casting of First Aid. The large gash itched uncontrollably as the skin slowly but surely sutured up.

Richter looked up, catching Emil quickly looking away. The smaller hand resting on his was trembling and the man briefly wondered if it was because of the mana and his body's response to it or because of him. Judging from the pink gracing Emil's cheeks, it was likely the latter. Richter interrupted his casting, and Emil took off his torn and blood stained glove. The wound had closed almost entirely, but it was definitely still prone to damage.

''For now it's all I can do. Give your body a few hours to adjust to the mana and I'll see what else I can do.''

Emil nodded, gently rubbing his hands together.

''Here,'' Emil looked up at Richter holding out one of his gloves. ''Seeing as we'll likely have to get our hands dirty you better put this on.''

''T-thank you.''

He took the glove and put it on. It was still pleasantly warm on the inside and while it was obviously too big, it would serve its purpose. Richter stuffed his other glove in one of his pockets, finding it an annoyance to wear only one. ''Now let's see what we can find.''

Richter stepped through the hole first, followed by an unstable Emil. His cheeks were still colored a light pink and he clenched the glove as tightly as he could without risking reopening the wound on the inside of his hand. The boy eyed the back of the man's head.

''It's in a better state than I expected.'' Richter noted. ''I didn't think we'd have so much roof over our heads. To block the door with a bookcase though...''

He continued to look around, stepping over and around various objects. He halted and scoffed in front of one of the statues.

''Trophees carved in marble.'' He turned to Emil for further explanation. ''He was famous for his research and collection. Of course, to research something, you need the means.'' He gestured to the various statues which Emil now noted shared a resemblance to various species of monsters.

''He hunted monsters?''

Richter shook his head. ''Not hunted. Caught them. Observed and tested on until they served him better dead than alive.''

Emil's brows furrowed. ''That's so sad. Just because he wanted to study them...'' He traced the marble beak of a bird like creature. Richter observed him in silence before a chuckle escaped him. Emil's head shot towards him.

''Always the compassionate one. Let's move on.''

He turned away, but not before catching the corners of Emil's lips turn upward into a smile.

''What's wrong with that?''

''Nothing per se. If you like putting yourself at risk.'' He grunted, walking towards the large set of stairs that Emil had earlier descended from.

''There's a room full of books to the right. It's where I came in.'' Emil said, before adding; ''I don't think I'm putting myself at risk any more than you.''

''Do you now.'' Richter kicked more books out of the way and stepped over the bookcase Emil had pushed over much earlier before entering the room and walking straight towards the bookcases standing on the length of the biggest wall. ''How so?''

''I may not be as intimidating as you,'' He ignored the glare he received ''But people are quicker to trust me. They don't think telling me things is fine and they don't see me as a threat.'' Richter opened his mouth to mockingly reply are you then? But was prevented from doing so as Emil added one final sentence. ''They underestimate me.''

Richter paused, his hand hovering in mid air in front of a book. The air had become thick at the unmistakable undertone Emil's words held. He resumed his actions without acknowledging this though.

''So,'' Emil tone had gone back to normal. ''What are you looking for?''

''As much as I appreciate the help, I'll do the searching myself.''

''Oh.'' Emil sounded disappointed.

''However, I do have a question for you.''

Emil perked up and cocked his head slightly to the right in a questioning manner, looking up expectantly at the other man.

''When you read Aster's research notes-'' Emil's body stiffened, guilt overtaking him again. ''Did you recognize anything beside the similar handwriting?''

This threw Emil off. ''What do you mean?''

Richter turned back to the bookcases while continuing. '' His choice of words or the way he formulated sentences? ''

Emil mused over it for a few moments. ''N-no I don't think so. He's a lot smarter than I am.'' He dropped his head.

''Well he was a prodigy.'' Richter muttered, not audible enough for Emil to hear. '' There's something else I need to know.''

He turned back to Emil, crossing his arms across his chest. ''Do the things he wrote ring a bell. Anywhere. In other words, do you remember them?''

''What?'' Emil's eyes widened for a bit in surprise. ''N-no, I don't.''

He followed Richter out of the room after the man threw a book on the floor in annoyance, muttering something about an ''cooks'' under his breath.  
He thought back to the letter, recalling the words to see if maybe he did remember them. Richter didn't ask him anything else. Instead the pair moved to the next rooms. Finding at least 4 rooms not containing any books at all they halted at the top of the stairs.

''He must have been desperate to keep people out if he blocked every door with furniture.'' Richter huffed, crossing his arms and observing the now pushed over furniture that previously blocked the doors on the second floor. He turned his head to look at Emil, who seemed to be still pondering. He huffed. ''Don't worry about it too much.'' His low voice pulled Emil out of his train of thought. The boy looked up, still somewhat down. ''If anything,'' Richter continued. ''It's a good thing.''

''Why?'' Emil almost whispered the words.

''Because it means you may not be Aster after all.''

Emil's head shot up again. Richter was right. This did strengthen the theory it was only Aster's body he shared, not the mind.

He was about to speak when the wood started to creak. Both males looked at the ground they were standing on and both jumped away as the wood started to break and cave in. However, only Richter found himself on stable footing. Emil landed on more unstable wood that immediately gave in to the sudden force. The boy yelped as his surroundings were elevated from his vision as he fell.

''Emil!''

Both males reached out in instinct, to no avail. Emil landed first, his weight accelerating his fall in comparison to the wood and shambles. He had little time to react however, as the beams that supported floor and stone gave in as well. He could only turn and cover his head as his surroundings came crashing down.


End file.
